The Supreme Court has allowed Alabama to move forward with a new congressional map expected to benefit Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, overturning a lower court ruling that required the state to use a previously court-approved map following challenges by attorneys representing Black voters.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s passionate dissent
The decision sparked sharp criticism from the Court’s liberal justices, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor issuing a forceful dissent joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In her dissent, Sotomayor wrote, “Before the Court are two paths. Down one lies an orderly election, held under a tried-and-tested congressional map that protects Black Alabamians’ right to vote and with which all voters, elections officials and candidates alike are familiar. Down the other lies a chaotic election, held under a never-before-used congressional map that intentionally discriminates against Black Alabamians, that Alabama adopted in unashamed defiance of a prior court order directly affirmed by this Court and that will require officials to change the voter registrations of hundreds of thousands of voters in just days at best, a task that Alabama previously represented would take months. The majority chooses the second path and disregards both democratic values and the rule of law. I respectfully dissent.”
Sotomayor later added that “the Court doubles down on chaos” through its ruling.
Civil rights concerns in Alabama
The dispute centers on Alabama’s congressional boundaries after lower courts previously ruled that earlier maps unfairly diluted Black voting power. According to the Associated Press, the court-drawn 2024 map had resulted in the election of two Black Democrats to Congress.
Civil rights advocates condemned the Supreme Court’s move.
Deuel Ross, director of litigation at the Legal Defense Fund, said in a statement to Newsweek, “The Supreme Court’s decision gives cover to Alabama and others to deliberately and openly discriminate against Black voters without fear of any consequence.”
“The Court’s shameless decision to reinstate a racially discriminatory map defies any thoughtful or consistent application of the law. We will continue to throw all of our resources into the fight to ensure that Alabama voters have the fair representation that they deserve in Congress,” he added.
Palm Beach reacts to ruling
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg also sided with Sotomayor’s dissent.
“By reviving a map that has already been found to intentionally discriminate against Black voters, the Supreme Court is abandoning its duty to protect basic civil rights and has instead doubled down on democratic chaos,” Aronberg told Newsweek.
“The claim that it is too late to ensure fair maps is a disingenuous excuse. The state had a perfectly functional, court-approved map ready to go. Upending that stability at the eleventh hour to push through a partisan gerrymander is what actually disrupts the election process. Voters deserve maps that reflect their communities, not last-minute judicial maneuvers that dilute their voices,” he added.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, meanwhile, celebrated the ruling, calling it a victory for Alabama voters and election officials. She added that the Supreme Court “confirmed what I have said all along.”